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Utah relaxed its liquor laws in 2009, but the rules are still a confusing mix of restrictions that discourage new businesses from opening in the state, restaurateurs say. The laws allow restaurants with the proper license to serve drinks but requires them to keep liquor and bartenders out of sight.

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GrubHub's new mobile application for Android users aims to make ordering dinner easier for consumers on the go, with features that let users use the GPS on their phones to find the nearest places selling the food they crave, says founder and CEO Matt Maloney. Mobile orders were 10% of GrubHub's total business last year, and that's forecast to grow to 25% in 2011, he said.

Restaurant seafood orders have been declining since 2007, and consumption declined 2% in the 12-month period ending in March, according to data from NPD Group. The decline is more a function of the economy than of oil spills and other disasters, said NPD analyst Bonnie Riggs. The numbers also show that health concerns may play a part: Fried seafood orders declined, while salmon and sushi consumption rose 1% and 4%.

Waffle House is so well-prepared for a potential natural disaster that FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate created the "Waffle House Index" as a measure of preparedness. The chain has a resilient staffing and logistics strategy, is capable of keeping customers fed even with drastically reduced menu options, and has mastered the art of using its employees as a resource when things go wrong.

Restaurant calorie counts often vary by 10 or so one way or the other, and sometimes they're off by 273 calories or more, according to research from Tufts University, which analyzed 269 dishes from 42 chain restaurants. Dishes at sit-down eateries were more likely to vary widely while quickservice foods were most often much closer. Some restaurants responded, including Chipotle, saying seasonality of ingredients and cooking from scratch could affect calorie counts, and Olive Garden, which said its posted calorie counts "are as accurate as they can be for dishes that are individually crafted by hand."

Applebee's has taken its social marketing efforts a step further with individual franchise Facebook pages aimed at fostering relationships in the communities where each eatery operates. The chain works with social media management provider Expion to create approved content and ideas for posts that franchisees can customize to fit the needs of their local customers.